


Fried Chicken and Mistletoe

by PrettyInPurple00



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Established Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Happy Birthday Victor Nikiforov, M/M, Mushy boys IN LOVE, VictUuri, Victor’s 30th birthday, birthday fic, traditional Japanese Christmas, victors birthday exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-25 05:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17115386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyInPurple00/pseuds/PrettyInPurple00
Summary: Victor’s 30th birthday and Japanese Christmas traditions converge when he and Yuuri go back to Hasetsu for the holidays.





	Fried Chicken and Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ranpoandpoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranpoandpoe/gifts).



> Fic written in honor of Victor’s Birthday Exchange!! 
> 
> Happy birthday, baby boy ❤️❤️

“Vitya, what would you like for your birthday?”

Turning his face to look at him, Victor smiled softly. The silver glow from the full moon shining through the window caught his blue eyes and made them shimmer in the light. 

“Nothing, my love. I have everything I could ever want right here with you.”

Yuuri pouted. “But it’s your 30th birthday! What kind of fiancé would I be if I didn’t get you anything?” 

“You are so very sweet, my love, but really, I mean it,” Victor murmured, rolling over so he was fully facing the younger man. The space of Yuuri’s childhood bed was tight, but Victor didn’t mind. It simply gave him all the more reason to cuddle as close as possible to Yuuri. 

He stroked Yuuri’s cheek. “I’m so incredibly happy. Being with you and your family here for the holidays... I never dreamed I would be so lucky. Truly, Yuuri. That all by itself is the best gift I could ever ask for.”

He then pressed a gentle kiss to Yuuri’s lips. “I love you.”

”I love you too,” Yuuri said, finding Victor’s hand in the darkness and squeezing.

”Besides, Christmas is tomorrow as well,” Victor said. “Do you do anything special? Christmas in Russia is not really celebrated until the 7th next month but even then, my family doesn't do much.”

”Mmm... nothing big,” Yuuri said, tapping his chin with his finger, a habit he, no doubt, adopted from Victor. “It’s not really seen as a religious holiday like in America or anything. Actually, it’s viewed more as a holiday for couples. Exchanging presents or going out to a nice restaurant. Kind of like Valentine’s Day. The onsen stays open for business, but growing up, we always had a family dinner.”

Victor’s face brightened. “A day for couples? That’s perfect. What should we do?”

”Well, there’s this huge Christmas market in Fukuoka. It’s only been running for a few Christmases now, but I heard it’s really nice. I’ve never gone, but Mari-neechan and my parents went one year. Do you... want to go, or...? I mean, whatever you want. It's your birthday and anything is fine--"

"Yes," Victor cut in, his smile growing wider. "Yes, of course, my love. That sounds wonderful. It'll be fun. We should go to sleep, though. We have a full day planned."

"I know. One sec."

Reaching under his pillow, Yuuri grabbed his phone to check the time.  _23:59._

"Almost time," Yuuri said, angling the phone so Victor could see. Seconds later, the time changed --  _00:00_ \-- and a countdown notification that Yuuri had programmed a year ago popped up on the screen:  _Victor's birthday!! ❤️❤️_

Putting the phone away, Yuuri closed the centimeters-wide gap between their faces and kissed him. "Happy birthday, Vitya."

Victor wrapped his arms tight around Yuuri, pulling him impossibly closer to his chest.

“Thank you, _zolotse moyo._ Merry Christmas _.”_

* * *

In the morning after a late breakfast, Victor and Yuuri took an hour-long soak in the hot spring before getting dressed for the market.

”Yuuri!” Hiroko called out to her son as he and Victor were halfway out the door. “Please pick up dinner and the cake on your way home. I reserved it under our name.”

”I will, mom. See you later!”

”Bye!” Victor echoed, his heart-shaped smile on full display.

”Have fun, you two,” Hiroko said with a small wave.

Yuuri took Victor’s hand and they walked the short distance from Yu-topia to the bus station. The air was cool and crisp, and Yuuri could sense snowfall in the forecast.

When they found their seats and settled in, Yuuri leaned his head on Victor’s shoulder to which Victor responded by giving his hair a kiss.

Yuuri smiled to himself as the bus pulled away and headed down the road.

* * *

With no detours, the bus arrived in Fukuoka in just over an hour and the pair quickly found the market, located two streets away from the station. 

As it came into view, Victor and Yuuri shared a glance and their faces broke out into wide grins and they hurried underneath the welcoming arch.

Naturally, it was packed; couples of all ages, groups of friends, and families with young children all filled the promenade.

There were endless strings of white lights that fanned out above the crowd like stars, already twinkling in the orange glow of the setting sun.  

The many stalls that lined both sides of the pathway seemed to stretch on for miles and each one was adorned with lights and unique decorations of their own.  

Festive music poured from the loudspeakers and lively chatter of a hundred conversations happening at once all melded together into a single harmonious sound of celebration. 

The rich aroma of roasted meats, spices, and decadent pastries tickled their noses and made their mouths water. 

Linking arms, Victor and Yuuri set off down the road, taking in the magical sights before them.

* * *

In the blink of an eye, three hours had flown by. The sky was dark now, but the brilliance of the lights around them made it nearly impossible to tell. 

Resting on a bench, Victor and Yuuri sat in comfortable silence, both nursing mugs of hot chocolate they had bought early on in the evening. 

“Did you have fun, Vitya?” Yuuri asked.

”Of course,” Victor replied, finishing the last of his drink. “I always have fun with you, my love, no matter what we do together. I am a little tired, though. After all, I’m thirty now — practically an old man.”

Yuuri laughed. “I’m tired too, but it’s a good tired. Like, after a productive training session when I finally land a difficult jump. Should we start heading out? We still have to pick up dinner.”

Victor nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll take the bags for us.”

Standing, Victor collected the five shopping bags in his hands as Yuuri slipped his arm through the crook of his elbow. When they first got to the market, they had made a point to visit every stall, if only just to look. However, some things were just too good to pass up and they ended up buying gifts for all of their friends, and a little something for each other. 

(“It’s a _Christmas_ present, Vitya. _Not_ a birthday present. Therefore it does not violate your rules of ‘no gifts.’”

Victor acquiesced, unable to dispute such logic, especially when Yuuri was so adamant. “Fine.”) 

“This place reminds me of the Christmas market we went to in Barcelona,” Yuuri said, a blush coloring his cheeks.

"I thought the same thing," Victor said, his voice soft and nostalgic. "Although this is even better.” 

They passed beneath the arch once again, and soon, the lights and sounds of the market faded into the background as the two made their way back to the bus station. As Yuuri predicted, delicate snowflakes began to fall while they waited. Yuuri hugged Victor’s arm tighter. The moment was perfect, and judging from Victor’s placid expression, he felt the same.

* * *

The bus ride went faster than expected and was soon dropping them off at the corner just minutes from home.

”What are we having for dinner, anyway?” Victor asked, allowing Yuuri to take the lead.

”You’ll see,” Yuuri said. “It’s a Christmas tradition in Japan.”

They crossed the street, which was when Victor caught sight of a long line of people. He didn’t think much of it until he realized that that was exactly where Yuuri was headed. Glancing up, Victor squinted at the restaurant sign in a mix of confusion and curiosity.

”Eh? KFC?”

Yuuri giggled at his reaction and took Victor by the wrist, guiding him towards a separate entrance reserved for customers with reservations. 

“It’s not Christmas without KFC,” Yuuri explained, the little bell jingling as they went in. “You have to put in your order weeks in advance or you’ll be stuck waiting for hours in line like the people outside.”

”Really? That’s... interesting.”

“They have KFC in St. Petersburg,” Yuuri pointed out as they stepped up to the counter. 

”Yeah, but I’ve never had it before. And definitely not on Christmas.”

Yuuri’s jaw dropped, looking absolutely scandalized. “What? Ever?”

Victor shook his head, feigning shame.

”Oh, Vitya...” Yuuri placed his hand on his chest. This poor man, deprived of such delicious food for his entire life. “It’s so good. Believe me.”

The cashier, donning a Santa hat, came over and Yuuri spoke to her in rapid Japanese. She went back to the kitchen only to reappear moments later with a large plastic bag and three red cardboard containers, all with an image of a smiling Colonel Sanders on the lid. 

“Want to see the cake?” Yuuri asked. He lifted the flap of one of the boxes and Victor’s eyes went wide.

“Wow!”

The dessert was three layers of vanilla sponge cake, generously frosted with fluffy whipped cream and dotted with thin slices of ruby-red strawberries. In the center of the cake was a small rectangle of dark chocolate and the words  _Merry Christmas_ hand-piped in fine gold icing.

“It’s beautiful,” Victor said. 

“Delicious too,” Yuuri added with a covert wink, closing the box and placing the trio of containers in the bag. 

Paying quickly, they wished the cashier a Merry Christmas and left through the door they came in.

”I missed this,” Yuuri admitted as they walked back home, the bag swinging slightly with every step. “When I was younger, I always thought that Americans ate fried chicken during Christmas too. Imagine my surprise when I got to Detroit and that wasn’t the case. I could have gotten it there anyway, but it wasn’t the same. So, this is nice.”

Victor hummed in agreement. “It’s perfect.”

* * *

“My Yuuri, you were right. This is incredible,” Victor said with a smack of his lips. The family was sitting around the kotatsu, enjoying the festive meal and finishing off their second bottle of wine.

By the end of it, they were stuffed, but they still managed some dessert and stuck candles in the cake to mark Victor’s birthday. 

“Make a wish, Vicchan,” Hiroko said, her brown eyes warm and maternal behind wire-rimmed glasses.

Victor smiled, gazing down at the flickering candles. He knew that no matter what he wished for, it could never compare to what he had right now. So that’s what he wished for — for everyone he loved so dearly to stay as happy and healthy as they were right now.

* * *

Finally collapsing into bed hours later, Yuuri and Victor were nothing more than a tangle of limbs and hushed giggles. The alcohol had warmed them from the inside out and now they were beginning to feel its sedative effects. 

“I got us something _special_ ,” Victor said, emphasizing the last word. Clumsily, he reached for his pants that he’d unceremoniously tossed on the floor minutes before and fished something from the back pocket. He held it up to Yuuri’s face. 

Yuuri extended one finger and touched the rounded, felt leaves and plastic berries, complete with a red silk bow.

”Mistletoe? When did you—”

”When you were buying Phichit’s gift,” Victor said with a grin, obviously pleased with himself. “It’s fake because apparently real mistletoe can kill you—“

“Only if you eat it, Vitya.”

”It still counts,” he insisted. “So, what do you say? A good way to close out the holiday, yes?”

Dangling it high over their heads, Victor then puckered up, which Yuuri accepted with great eagerness.

Lowering his arm, Victor rested his hand on Yuuri’s waist.“Merry Christmas, Yuuri,” he whispered. “Thank you for today. It was the best birthday I ever had.”

Yuuri placed his hands on both sides of Victor’s face and kissed him. Again and again, softly, deeply, warmly.

”Happy birthday, Victor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, happy birthday to our dear Vitya and merry Christmas to all who are celebrating! 
> 
> You can find me on Twitter!! @berrymary92 ❤️


End file.
